As Xiao Yan awoke from his deep slumber, the sky had already darkened, and the setting sun cast a faint, rosy glow through the window, creating a dense pattern of light on the floor. Sitting up from his chair, he felt a warmth in his heart as he gazed at the blanket draped over him. Rising and moving about to stretch his limbs, the fatigue that had plagued him before vanished, replaced by a lively and energetic demeanor.
“Screech…”
As Xiao Yan moved about, the door suddenly creaked open, and a head poked in cautiously. Upon seeing Xiao Yan awake, the person let out a sigh of relief and chuckled, “Boss, you sure can sleep! From early morning till evening.”
“Haha, it’s Ate, isn’t it?” Seeing the cautious figure, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but chuckle, waving him in and asking with a smile, “Have Xuner and the others not returned yet?”
“Hehe, yeah, Senior Xuner almost took the entire Pan Gate with her. But judging by the time, they should be back soon,” Ate replied, scratching his head.
“Thanks a lot, everyone,” Xiao Yan said, taking a sip of cold tea from the cup beside him and smiling at Ate.
“Boss, you’re being too polite. We’re all part of Pan Gate now, and we are under your protection. We can’t just do nothing,” Ate said, somewhat flattered by Xiao Yan’s gratitude.
“Since I decided to form this Pan Gate, I bear the responsibility for it. Once the medicinal pills are sold, I will have Xuner reimburse you twice the fire energy you donated. Public is public, private is private; we mustn’t mix them up,” Xiao Yan said, shaking his head and speaking solemnly.
Hearing this, Ate was about to protest when the sound of many footsteps outside the door caught their attention. His face lit up, “Senior Xuner and the others are back!”
Just as he spoke, the door was pushed open again, and a group of cheerful individuals rushed in. Xuner, Wu Hao, and Hu Jia were leading the way, and their happy faces suggested they had good news.
“Brother Xiao Yan, you’re awake?” As Xuner entered the room, she was about to scold the others to be quiet, but she saw Xiao Yan sitting in the chair and smiled, “Sit down and rest for a bit.”
Seeing Xiao Yan’s calm demeanor, Xuner smiled and sat down next to him, along with the excited Hu Jia and Wu Hao. The other Pan Gate members, due to a lack of chairs, simply sat on the floor, filling the previously empty hall.
Seeing everyone settle down, Xiao Yan turned to Xuner and asked with a smile, “How did it go?”
“Not bad…” Xuner laughed lightly. “We sold thirty Qi-Recovery Pills, thirty-five Reconstitution Pills, and only fourteen Ice Clearing Pills. Because of the initial trust issue, we set the price of Qi-Recovery Pills at one day’s worth of fire energy, slightly lower than the Medicine Gang’s prices. The Reconstitution Pills are also one day’s worth of fire energy, and the Ice Clearing Pills are three days’ worth. In total, we made 107 days’ worth of fire energy today, which is almost equal to our cost. Selling medicinal pills is indeed very profitable, no wonder Alchemists are always the most sought-after and envied profession on the continent.”
Xiao Yan furrowed his brow slightly upon hearing the sales figures, but then relaxed, saying softly, “It’s indeed not bad. This is our first time selling medicinal pills, so we don’t have much credibility. People might find it hard to trust the efficacy of our pills, and the price does need to be a bit lower. As for the Ice Clearing Pill, it’s a bit expensive, and ordinary students might hesitate to buy it.”
Xiao Yan inwardly chuckled at Xuner’s last words. If it weren’t for his assistance with the unique flame, significantly improving the success rate of pill refinement, ordinary Alchemists would find it difficult to achieve such high profits, even if they could make some money.
“We didn’t expect everyone to be able to afford it…” Xuner smiled and said, “The few students who bought the Ice Clearing Pills are quite strong and can afford the five days’ worth of fire energy. They bought them hesitantly, but I think in a day or two, those who experience the benefits of our medicinal pills will become living advertisements for us, and these pills might be sold out in no time.”
“Okay.” Xiao Yan nodded. Once the reputation and effects of the pills spread, people would come looking for them even without active sales.
“Brother Xiao Yan, I suggest we use the fire energy we earned to buy medicinal ingredients. The Medicine Gang hasn’t reacted yet, but once they notice, they might take action,” Xuner suggested, after a slight hesitation.
“You’re worried they might secretly buy all the medicinal ingredients?” Xiao Yan frowned, his eyebrows tightening.
“Regardless, the Medicine Gang has a stronger foundation. Years of selling medicinal pills have made them rich. If they decide to monopolize the supply of medicinal ingredients, we’ll be in trouble. After all, they have the economic power. We must prepare for the worst,” Xuner said.
“Right, you’re correct.” Xiao Yan nodded firmly. “This Medicine Gang can’t be underestimated. Starting tomorrow, send everyone to search and purchase the necessary medicinal ingredients!”
“Alright!” Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan stood up, his gaze sweeping over the Pan Gate members in the hall. He smiled, “Thank you all for your hard work. Those who participated in the medicinal pill sales today, when our sales soar, each will receive five days’ worth of fire energy! I, Xiao Yan, keep my word!”
“Long live the boss!” Hearing Xiao Yan’s generous reward, the Pan Gate members first looked stunned, then wildly delighted. Their excited shouts almost lifted the roof. With nearly forty or fifty members, giving each five days’ worth of fire energy meant distributing over two hundred days’ worth, an extravagance even by the standards of the Inner Academy.
Such generosity would have been impossible for Xiao Yan in the past, but now, with the sales of the medicinal pills, his Alchemy skills would ensure a steady flow of fire energy. Thus, he could afford to be generous.
“As for Ate and the others who donated their fire energy, we will double-reimburse them. Remember, no refusals!” Xiao Yan said, turning his gaze to Ate and his group.
With Xiao Yan’s firm decision, the members who donated their fire energy could only nod with a wry smile, but there was also a touch of gratitude beneath it.
Seeing the morale of the Pan Gate members soar under Xiao Yan’s generous rewards, Xuner, Wu Hao, and Hu Jia exchanged smiles, silently giving Xiao Yan a thumbs up.
The next day, the Pan Gate members divided into teams. Xuner, Wu Hao, and Hu Jia continued to sell the medicinal pills, while Xiao Yan led a group to sweep the trading area, purchasing the materials needed to refine the three types of pills. After spending all the fire energy, they reluctantly returned to the new student area.
As for Xuner and her team, their sales were nearly double that of the previous day. Some who had benefited from the medicinal pills secretly told their friends, though they had strictly warned them not to spread the news. In just one night, the reputation of the three pills spread throughout the Inner Academy, especially the Ice Clearing Pill, which extended the time for cultivation in the Burning Flame Tower, causing some fervent cultivators to turn red-eyed with desire.
When Xuner and her team returned the next day, the first batch of medicinal pills had almost sold out. The large amount of fire energy they earned filled the Pan Gate with excitement.
In a spacious, luxurious room, several people sat, the atmosphere slightly somber, with undercurrents of tension. At the head of the large table, a man in an Alchemist’s robe leaned against his chair. On his chest was a rustic medicine cauldron with four silver, shimmering ripples. The blinding light prevented the other dozen or so people from looking directly at it.
“Can someone tell me when Pan Gate started producing Alchemists?” the man finally spoke, his voice low and tinged with anger. In front of him were three medicinal pills, the ones sold by Xiao Yan.
“Rumors say it’s their leader, Xiao Yan, who refined them,” someone replied in a low voice.
“He’s an Alchemist too?” The man frowned, “Hmm… seems like it is the case.”
“These three pills are better and cheaper than any we sell,” the man said, his eyes fixed on the pills. “If they fully establish their reputation, our monopoly on medicinal pill sales will be overturned.”
“What should we do? We can’t just sit back and watch them grow,” someone said, slightly agitated.
Ignoring the commotion, the man tapped his fingers on the table and, after a long silence, said coldly, “Investigate the medicinal ingredients they are buying. Whatever they buy, we will acquire at double the price. We may not have much, but we have plenty of fire energy!”
“Yes!” Everyone immediately agreed in unison.
“By the way, isn’t there some conflict between Pan Gate and the White Gang?” the man added, seemingly recalling something.
“Yeah, it’s said that Xiao Yan defeated Fu Ao and even had a public conflict with Bai Cheng,” someone replied.
“Hmm, a bunch of arrogant freshmen… Find Bai Cheng and bring him here. I need to talk to him. This Pan Gate is getting a bit too cocky. One Xiao Yan doesn’t mean the world to us, does it?”
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